


Danganronpa 2.75

by CashMoneyAndFriedChicken



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: (Also There's A Bit Of A Suicide Fakeout At The Beginning For Those Who Might Be Triggered By That), (Sorry Again About That), A Lot of Plot, Also It Would Be Really Nice If You Guys Could Tell Me What You Think About My Fan Characters, And Romance, Eventual Shameless Smut / Shagging Of All Kinds, Everyone is bi/pan, I Got Two Whole Classes Of Them, I'm Gonna Make My Faves Important, JoJo References Too, Multi, Oh And There's Comedy Too !, Plus Villains, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, There's Also Gonna Be Action, There's Gonna Be A Lot Of Fan Characters, This Is Gonna Be Awesome., a lot of it, and a lot of pairings, and sex, there's gonna be violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:31:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18464347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CashMoneyAndFriedChicken/pseuds/CashMoneyAndFriedChicken
Summary: Read it, and see for yourself.





	1. United We Stand

Contrary to what most people would think, seeing his title, Naegi Makoto wasn’t the luckiest person. Not by a long shot.

Two killing games. It took two years, and just as many killing games orchestrated by the same awful person, but it finally happened.

He could feel himself lose all hope.

His mind felt shattered, like if somebody broke his brain and reassembled it with pieces missing from the puzzle. He had lost so many of his friends, seen so much bloodshed, felt so much agony and despair…

It was killing him inside.

‘ _Fuck all of this.’_ He thought.

‘ _Fuck Junko_.’

‘ _Fuck Monokuma._ ’

‘ _Fuck the killing games._ ’

‘ _I just wanted to live a normal life._ ’

His hand gripped the cold metal of the colt in his right hand, charging it completely to make sure his dumb luck wouldn’t make him miss, and pressed the cannon against his temple.

He didn’t have the force to continue.

…

…

…

“Heh… Heheh… That’s so pathetic…”

He couldn’t bring himself to shoot. He just couldn’t.

“FUCK !” He yelled, throwing the firearm against the wall, the instrument of death clattering pathetically against the floor of his room.

“I can’t… I can’t take this anymore… !” Tears flowing freely from his tired eyes, he punched his pillow, letting out loud muffled screams of pain as he tried his best to steer his mind away from the horrible images of his friends’ executions and murders.

“Someone… Please… Wake me up from this nightmare…”

‘… _ **can …anged …gi-san !’**_

…Huh ?

What was that voice… ?

He tried to listen more attentively, the distant yet familiar voice becoming a bit clearer.

‘ _ **Hang on… ! …nearly done… Don’t lose hope… !’**_

Wait…

He recognized that voice… !

‘ _ **Naegi-san, it’s time to wake up now !’**_

It’s him ! He was sure of it !

“Hajime- AGH !” Just as he uttered his name, he felt his chest hurt, and fell back towards his bed.

And fell.

And fell.

‘ _ **Welcome to the real world, Naegi !’**_ Hajime’s disembodied voice said with a joyful tone, a bright light blinding Naegi as he had more and more troubles breathing before, finally-

**< Naegi Makoto P.O.V>**

“Argh- Wh- What ?!” You said, startling yourself awake as you found yourself facing Hajime and some other people you couldn’t quite recall.

“Oh, thank god you’re okay ! We’ve been trying to wake you up for a good two hours, Naegi !” Hajime said, a light tone in his voice that both couldn’t quite express how glad he was to see you wake up, and how scared he got that you wouldn’t wake up for two hours.

“What… What’s happening… ? My head feels… Weird…”

“Are you okay ? Do you have any trouble breathing ?”

“I…”

You’re at a loss for words for a good while, Hajime watching you closely before you find yourself throwing yourself at him in a tight hug, the corners of your eyes leaking tears as you desperately try to keep it together.

“I’m- I’m so, so glad to see you again, Hajime- !”

Welp. You couldn’t keep it together long enough. But Hajime doesn’t seem to mind as he just holds you back and lets you cry it out, a tiny laugh bubbling out of his mouth.

“I’m glad to see you too, Naegi.”

Your head shoots up as you remember an important detail, which you immediately ask Hajime about.

“Wait ! What about the others ?!”

“Naegi, calm down.” Hajime started (Heheheh. Japanese pun.) “The whole of Class 78 is alive and well. Those who were feeling unwell were taken care of by Mikan here.”

He gestured to a shy-looking student in a nurse outfit, to which you gave a small wave and a smile, which she gladly returned.

“But… how ? I thought I’d saw them…” You can’t bring yourself to finish that sentence, but it seems like you do not need to do so, as Hajime spotted you being distraught, putting his hands on your shoulders to reassure you.

“That’s part of the few things I had to explain to your classmates, and that I now have to explain to you. Naegi, take a look around you, and try to tell me what you see.”

You do as you’re told, taking a look around at the room you’re currently in…

Wait, where the fuck are you ?!

This doesn’t look like Hope’s Peak at all. Your eyes had the time to adjust to the darkness of the… Laboratory, you guess ? You were laying on some kind of… capsule, with a glass bubble to leave you cut off from the outside world. A discarded helmet tells you this was probably on your head while you were asleep. A large metal panel sits on the opposite wall of the room, and you can barely make out an inscription on it:

_**Deep Dream Inc.** _

This raises more questions than it answers, to be completely honest.

“Where… are we ?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Naegi, I have no idea either, but I can affirm you that we are in the real world now.”

“What do you mean _‘We’re in the real world **Now** ’_ ?! Are you meaning to tell me that- ?”

“Yes. It would seem that everything that’s happened to you and me so far has been the product of a simulation-”

“See, **That’s** what I don’t understand ! I thought **I** was the one that helped you out of a simulation once !”

“Well… It’s a bit complicated, but Chihiro-san gave me a quick explanation of it all.” Hajime paused, seating himself next to you on the capsule. “See, the events of Jabberwock Island were indeed a simulation, but inside of the prefabricated universe of none other than, I can guess, Deep Dream, seeing where we woke up.”

“Wait, so that means… You guys were inside of a simulation, **Inside** a simulation ?”

“Chihiro-san told me that was the very simplified explanation of it all, but that’s basically it. And we’re having some ideas about who could have instigated something like this...”

“…Hope’s Peak ?”

Hajime stood up, straightening his tie and turning back towards you with a somber look on his face.

“…I’m not saying they necessarily did it, but I’m not saying they **didn’t** do it either.”

“Wait ! How did you and the others manage to wake up in the first place ?”

“…After waking up from the Jabberwock simulation, we started becoming wary of reality itself, and  some of us started picking up on… Unusual things happening, let’s say. Glitches in the matrix, kind of. From thereon, we knew that the world we were in wasn’t real, and just like this, we started waking up, one by one. Just like when you wake up from a dream after realizing it’s one.”

“… And that’s then that you started waking me and the others up.”

“Exactly.”

“Did you guys encounter people other than Hope’s Peak students like us  here ?”

“Nope. The place was deserted when I woke up, and, aside from us all, there’s nobody from the outside world that happened to meet us.”

…You  figure you ’re  probably as confused as you’ll ever be.

“ Hey, don’t spend all this time worrying, Naegi ! I… Actually needed your help for something.”

This definitely piques your interest. You raise an eyebrow as you stand up from the capsule, slightly losing your balance and wobbling as you try to stand by yourself, stopping Hajime’s concerned gaze with a wave of your hand as you regain your balance shortly afterwards.

“Tell me ?”

“I think it’d be better if I showed you instead.”

Hajime leads the way as you navigate the dark corridors of the laboratory, the only sources of light coming from some neon  lightings and computer screens as you arrive in another room, immediately recognizing your classmates from Class 78. You would have went and said hi to them, but you figure Hajime’s discovery is a more important thing to do first.

He stops in front of an unopened capsul e, stepping away to let you see.

And the sight  instantaneously makes your blood freeze inside of your veins.

Inside the unopened capsule, you immediately recognize the telltale form of Junko Enoshima, still in a deep, agitated slumber, a copper plaque above her capsule reading:

_**[Junko Enoshima: The Ultimate Fashionista]** _

_**[Prototype N° 78-TM]** _

“This is what I wanted to talk to you about, Naegi. We’ve found her like this, but we’re having a slight crisis on whether we should wake her up or not. On one hand, she is in the same predicament as we were, and there are no signs of her owning the facility… But on the other hand, this is  ** Junko ** we’re talking about. Do you know what I mean ?”

“…More than anyone else. So… You need me for what, exactly ? To be the swing vote ?”

“To be the Decisionary.”  Hajime turns to face you once again, giving a few glances towards Junko. He doesn’t seem mad at her, he looks more… Dejected. Sad, even. “I know both you, your classmates, mine and I had our hangups about her, but part of us would prefer leaving her there fearing that she may try something if we did otherwise, while the others would like to wake her up, if only to get an explanation from her, or even  to add her to our bunch, if things turn out well. And we would like to hear your opinion on this since you seem to be one of the principal voters.”

You’re hesitating, if only for a moment. They’re right. On one hand, this is Junko Enoshima, the Mastermind behind the two killing games you’ve seen so far, but on the other hand… She does seem to be suffering, and it doesn’t look like the “hah, gotcha” type of fake-suffering.

You’ve already made up your mind.

“Wake her up.” You start, approaching the capsule. “ I know a lot of our classmates wouldn’t agree with that, but… Right now, I want some answers. And I won’t get those answers from a dead or eternally trapped Junko.”

Hajime nods, solemnly walking over to the computer next to Junko’s capsule, typing in a password and pressing a button on the side of the container, the glass bubble opening up slowly as you went to the Ultimate Fashionista’s side, looking up towards Hajime.

“Is her helmet safe to remove ?”

“Not yet. You should try talking to her, help her emerge from her slumber and all. I would have tried, but it doesn’t seem as if she would react to me all that much.”

You… guess you understand. After all, she  ** did ** spend a whole Killing Game monitoring you. That’s gotta count for something. Maybe. Anyway.

You approach Junko’s agitated body, taking her hand in yours as you try to help her wake up as softly as possible.

“Nnngh… No…”

“Enoshima-san… It’s time to wake up.”

Immediately after uttering these words, you feel Junko’s hand gripping yours just a bit tighter, her body thrashing inside of her opened capsule as her features and tightly-shut eyes seemed to betray her fear.

“N-No… No ! NO ! No more- No more tests ! Please ! I’m not your guinea pig !  ** I’M NOT YOUR GUINEA PIG !!! ** ”

“Enoshima-san, calm down !” You say, quickly bringing up your hand to caress her hair  and face . This seems to work, as her incoherent thrashing seems to come to a near-complete stop, your hand still holding hers as you continue speaking to her in a calm manner. “ You’re safe now. This is Naegi speaking. Makoto Naegi. Do you recognize my voice ?”

“Na… egi… ? Is that… Is that you… ?”

“Yes, Enoshima-san, it’s me. Do not worry. Nobody is being tested or used for experiences, you’re safe now. But you need to wake up.”

You felt Junko’s hand squeeze yours, a slight frown forming on her face as a few tears started rolling down the sides of the Ultimate Fashionista’s cheeks. The sight broke your heart, and her next few words didn’t help in that regard.

“Naegi… Please… Help me… Don’t let _him_ near me again…”

You turned towards Hajime, feeling more resolute than ever before.

“…How can we help her emerge ?”

“Since she was able to hear you and interact with you, she should be clear for a comeback. I’ll try to disconnect her helmet, and she should come back to her senses then.”

You gave him a nod, turning back towards Junko and squeezing her hand softly, whispering her a few words before she woke up.

“Welcome back to the real world, Enoshima-san.”

“- !”

Junko barely had any time to respond to your quip as her eyes shot open, sitting up almost immediately, looking around almost panicked before her eyes set on you, pulling you into a tight hug as wet sobs escaped her mouth, her lithe hands gripping the sides of your jacket.

“I got- I was- _**°Sniff !°**_ I was s-so scared... ! Na- _**°Sniff !°**_ Naegiiiiii… !”

“Shhh… It’s okay, Enoshima-san, it’s okay… You’re safe here…” You whisper to her, caressing her hair as gently as you could as Hajime watched the two of you with a vigilant eye, his arms crossed against his chest.

“I’m s-so so **so** sorry about all that- _**°Sniff !°**_ A-All that happened… ! They- They did- They said i-if I didn’t go along with th-them, that they would- that they would hurt all of you, a-and… !”

“Calm down, Enoshima-san, take deep breaths, and explain what you mean afterwards.”

The Ultimate Fashionista did as you told her, breathing in slowly as she tried to calm herself down, her still-wet eyes looking up to you.

“First of all, who is this _“they”_ you keep talking about ?”

“The- The people… The people at- ° _ **Sniff !**_ ° at Deep Dream… ! They were- They said they needed a strawman for- for their experiment… ! To be- ° _ **Sniff !**_ ° To be the mastermind inside the simulations… !”

“…What ?” You said, still somewhat wary of Junko, or rather, the possibility that she could still be lying to your faces.

But…

Looking at her like this, holding onto you for dear life and crying her eyes out…

This must be the most brutally honest thing you’ve ever seen Junko do.

It almost feels like the girl who orchestrated the two killing games was a completely different person…

You decide not to interrupt her, and simply hold her close while she continues her explanations.

“I never- I never wanted any of this… ! Not the- Not the killings… Or the suicides… Or the… T-The… !”

“Despair.”

You immediately feel Junko tense up against you. You didn’t say that, but you have a vague idea of who did.

Byakuya Togami, still serious as ever, and more than a little miffed to see that you woke Junko up instead of unplugging her.

“That’s the word you were searching for, isn’t it ?” Byakuya sneered, each of his steps resounding inside of the near-empty lab. “I thought you would have made a more intelligent decision, Naegi. _You_ , of all people should know the _threat_ she represents.”

“If she’s a threat, like you say,” You were about to respond, but Hajime beat you to it. “Then how come she was plugged into the same capsules as all of us ?”

“Mind your words, _commoner_ , I’m speaking to my classmate.” He spat, Hajime advancing angrily towards him while Mikan tried to persuade him not to do anything foolish.

It’s your cue to step in, it seems.

“ _Byakuya._ ” You say, caressing Junko’s hair as you glared fiercely at him. “That’s enough out of you. Junko is accompanying us, if only to have some clearance on our situation, and that’s final. You don’t get a say in that matter.”

A slight ‘Tsk !’ escaped his lips, as he turned back towards the other capsule room where the rest of your classmates from Class 78 hung out.

“That’s your problem now, Naegi. I thought you’d learned from this.” He said, his hand resting on the metallic door handle as he turned towards you one last time. “But at least, I’m glad to see that you finally managed to grow a backbone.”

Even if more than a little backhanded, you can always appreciate the rare compliments Byakuya gives you, helping to alleviate some of the thick-enough-to-cut-through tension in the room.

“-And as for _**You**_ , demon.” His sneer came back full-force, glaring at Junko as you felt her hug you tighter. “Don’t even think about crossing my path, lest you regret it _deeply_.”

And just like that, the nice moment was gone.

With a slight, metallic creak, the door closed behind him, leaving the four of you alone.

“Scary… !” Junko said, her body pressed flush against yours as you tried helping her up, holding her by her torso, with her arm draped around your neck.

“I’m sure he won’t harm you, Enoshima-san… I… I guess this was more of a threat than a promise.”

“Of course, who better than the real Byakuya Togami to give empty threats.” Hajime said, rolling his eyes.

“Hajime-san, you’re not helping !”

“Am I wrong though, Naegi-san ?”

“…I guess not.”

You turned back towards Junko, holding her hands to help her up onto her feet as she let out the tiniest of gasps, a slight pink hue powdering her cheeks.

“Naegi… ?”

“Enoshima-san, I think you owe me, and my classmates, some explanations.”

The Fashionista’s words died in her throat as you glared at her, holding her hand as softly as you could as you both walked to where your classmates were staying.

“I’ll… I’ll do my best to explain what I know…”

“You’d better do just this, Enoshima-san. I don’t think _they_ will take ‘I don’t remember’ as a valable answer.”

Junko nodded as she followed you, simply letting her head hang low in silence.

Even if how passive the “real” Junko acted surprised you at first, you still remained wary and on your guards.

And you have a feeling that you won’t be the only one to do so…

Said feeling immediately came into fruition as you entered the room with all 14 of your other classmates, counting Mukuro, even if she posed as Junko inside of the simulation.

Everyone seems either angry at you, at Junko, or just on edge because of the situation, and honestly, you can’t blame them.

Although, the problem resides more into the defusing of this particular situation rather than in your classmates being angry, because, come on, you know that they’re not the types to attack on sight.

You’re thankful for that because you don’t think you would survive from a blow from Mondo or Sakura by shielding Junko.

But still, the tension in the room is thick enough to break a knife on it. This is going to be tough.

“I’ve heard from Hajime-san that most of you don’t agree on Junko being out of her pod.” You start, noticing the visible hostility of your class towards the Fashionista, keeping her planted squarely against your back.

“Rightfully so, if we may. Unless you forgot what we all went through, Naegi-kun ?” Celestia said, calm on the surface, but hiding venom inside of her words.

“Come on, Makoto-chi, you of all people should know better than to do this !” Yasuhiro continued, visibly sweating as he seemed to look anywhere but towards you and Junko. You understand his reaction, he’s one of those who have seen the most… and the worst, after all.

“For once we agree on something, Hagakure-kun.”

“Does that mean- ?!”

“ **No**. For the last time, Hagakure-kun, your fortune-telling does **not** interest me **in the slightest** , and I do **not** want to **fucking** spend _**my**_ money on it.” Celestia sneered, accentuating her words as Yasuhiro went and hid behind Mondo who, in turn, silently told him to fuck off.

“Po- Point taken… Celes-chi...”

“Ludenberg-san, if I may ?” Kiyotaka turned towards the goth, who in turn gestured for him to speak his mind. “Naegi-san, I am very, **very** disappointed in your actions.”

“What are you, his dad ?” Leon snickered, reciving withering glares from almost everyone in the room. “What ?! Can you blame me for trying to make a tense situation a bit lighter ?!”

“Point is !” Kiyotaka continued, his red eyes looking into your brown ones as his hand straightened his sleeve. “After noticing first-hand the dangerosity of the person that is Enoshima Junko, I would have thought you more apt to decide on the right course of action to take ! It being taking our choices into consideration !”

“Believe me, this choice wasn’t as easy to take as I might make it look to be.” You start, a determined look in your eyes as you both turned to face Junko. “Until I get more clearance on our situation, I am holding Enoshima-san as the culprit. But I want the bigger picture. I want to know what happened on the first day, when I first blacked out in front of Hope’s Peak academy’s doors.”

Taking a long, calming breath, you closed your eyes and opened them again, looking back onto the whole of your class.

“I know how you all feel, and frankly, I’m not happy either right now, but acting on vengeful feelings will only leave us with unanswered questions and blood on our hands.” You swallowed the lump in your throat as you finished your sentence. “And, I don’t know about the whole lot of you, but I’m done with bloodshed.”

Silence settled on your group, as you all looked uncomfortably at eachother.

Well, this beats the “murder-aura” anyway.

“Now, I want to ask you all one question.” You started, looking into Junko’s eyes to see uncertainty and sadness in her uncomfortable visage, as you turned back to face the rest of your friends.

“Who here is willing, not to forgive Enoshima-san, but at the very least, give her the benefit of the doubt ?”

The others were left pensive, looking at one-another as if to find their answers in the others’ eyes, before one hand stood up.

Chihiro-san’s, to be precise.

“Fujisaki-san ?”

“U-Unlike the rest of you, all so quick to judge, I’ve been trying to find clues in the computers left by Deep Dream.” Chihiro started, his cute face shaped into a determined frown. “And one of the things that puzzled me the most had to be…”

“Had to be… ?”

“I-If Junko-san was indeed the one behind all of this… How come her avatar was the only one that was so heavily shackled… ?”

…

Now that was a revelation.

“Fujisaki-san, could you show us ?”

“…Say no more.”

The Ultimate Programmer said, fetching his laptop from one of the computer desks, having apparently retrieved it from one of Deep Dream’s closets. Plugging it into one of the computers with a cable, his screen showed the different avatars and their respective lines of code.

“One of the things I noticed first was this program, present in all of our avatars, except Junko-san’s.” Chihiro pointed at his screen to his classmates huddled around him, Junko herself, and yourself by the same occasion, looking at it curiously.

Said program, written in complex lines of code, was named **“freemind_TM64.exe”**.

“Fujisaki-san, what does that program do ?”

“Basically, Naegi-san, Freemind is a somewhat complex program able to retranscribe our thoughts from our actual selves in the real world into words for our avatars inside of the simulations.”

“Why does Junko not have it, then ?” Leon asked, genuinely curious.

“Isn’t it obvious, Kuwata-kun ? To prevent her from going out of the programmed path.” Chihiro said, opening the lines of code of the program to show the contents, revealing Junko’s dialogue lines, along with what appeared to be Monokuma’s, if the initials MK lead to what you thought. “Junko was on rails the whole time, and was only here to act as a strawman villain while we killed our virtual selves.”

“What ?!” The whole lot of you exclaimed, Chihiro still dissecting the program for further clues.

“At least that’s what I think. What you do with this information is up to all of you, but I’d warn you to think twice before accusing others.” Chihiro said, before turning to face the rest of your class with the coldest glare you have ever seen on his person. “ _Has the killing game taught you nothing ? United we stand, divided we fall. That’s basic understanding.”_

“I could not have said it better, Fujisaki-san.”

You turned towards the voice as quickly as you could.

That cool, collected voice, like the whisper of the wind during a rainy day.

“Kirigiri-san !”

“Hello, Naegi-kun. Slept well ?” Oh god, that smile. That little, sensual, knowing smile. You’re weak for it. And you’re on the receiving end of it. Quick, Makoto, be cool !

“Uh… w-well… no- not really.” Wow, really smooth, Makoto, now everyone’s chuckling at your fumbling attempt at being cool and aloof.

“So, Kirigiri-san ?” Chihiro asked, being met with a slight shake of her head.

“Nothing. These labs are pristine, and whoever worked here only left what was already in the facility at the time. We found the exit however, but the door seems to be blocked from the outside.”

“Well, that’s just our _fucking_ luck, isn’t it ?” Chihiro growled at nobody in particular, his fingers moving across his laptop’s keyboard at an incredible speed.

“However, we found… Something else.”

Chihiro’s fingers stopped in their tracks, his head turning towards the Ultimate Detective’s.

“…I’m listening ?”

“It seems like us and our senpais weren’t the only classes present in the building like we first thought.” Kyoko started, pushing her purple hair back over her shoulder. “Pekoyama-san and I found at least three other classes, all ultimates, all in pods, just like we were. The rest of her classmates already took to making them emerge, and we might need to get them up to speed on the current situation. Either they were supposed to be replacements-”

“...Either Deep Dream was planning to make three more Killing Games. Naegi-san ?” Chihiro called to you, making you nod as you instantly got the message. You followed Chihiro, Kyoko and Peko to their destination, determined to save whoever was inside of this building.

United we stand, divided we fall, after all.


	2. We Were Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first half of Class 74 appears, and shenanigans ensue.

"It's here."

Kirigiri Kyoko said as she stopped in front of three metallic doors, making you and the others stop at the sound of her voice. Your eyes immediately went up to read the inscriptions on each door.

**[Class 74]**

**16 Students – All Ultimates**

**-**

**[Class 75]**

**16 Students – All Ultimates**

**-**

**[Class 79]**

**16 Students – All Ultimates**

You swallowed whatever bump was blocking your throat as Chihiro walked up to one of the doors, passing his hand against the engraved inscriptions as if to remove the thin layer of dust accumulated on it.

"Where do we start ?"

"I think it would be better to start in the numerical order, wouldn't it ?"

"Class 74 it is, then."

As the Ultimate Programmer's hand reached the door knob and pushed the metallic door open, the collective gazes of you and your classmates were met with a sight that could only be described as : ' _A total fucking chaos'_

" **WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHY THE FUCK WERE YOU HOLDING MY CLASSMATES HOSTAGE ?!!** " A garishly-dressed man wearing a pink and yellow-striped shirt and star-shaped glasses yelled at the unconscious forms of one Kazuichi Souda and one Teruteru Hanamura, surrounded by what looked like a cigarette-smoking diva and a goth surgeon with a fanged smile painted on his surgical mask.

You don't care if this is cliché, but you really need to rub the surprise out of your eyes. And it looks like Chihiro-san and Kyoko had the same idea.

And while you feel like this might not be the best moment, you still feel like you should intervene. Right now.

"U-Um, pardon me to interrupt-"

The three foreign faces immediately turned to you, the garishly-dressed man letting Pekoyama-san's classmates fall to the ground like ragdolls.

"Tch. Can't believe those assholes would call backup on us... !" The strange glasses-wearing man said, pushing his long black hair behind his back as he cracked his knuckles with a sneer. "I'll let you handle the gals, Samehada-san, I can't hit ladies. And good for me, their leader doesn't look that tough..."

While you feel somewhat proud that someone would consider you, at first glance, as the 'leader' of your group of friends, it was very quickly eclipsed by the fear of getting your own ass handed to you by someone with an even more awful style than Souda-kun.

And that's saying something.

"Would you relax for one second, Kenichiro... ? We can clearly see that they're not enemies." The diva behind 'Kenichiro' said, clearly annoyed at her classmate's antics. You guess she's the 'Samehada-san' he was talking about... Taking a long drag from her cigarette, she flicked the useless butt on the ground and crushed it with her high-heeled shoe.

You very quickly suppress the thought of how you wish you were that cigarette butt, because _damn_ , she looks _fucking hot_.

You don't, however, suppress the thought of how you wish you could put your head between her humongous melons, _because come on, you're not a complete hypocrite._

"What the fuck do you mean they're not enemies ?! Those idiots clearly were going to try something on you and the other gals !" 'Kenichiro' argued, gesturing at the motionless bodies of Teruteru and Kazuichi, both having swirls for eyes as they looked more like the remains of trampled individuals than aftermaths of a fight.

"In retrospect- And if I may butt in, pardon me again- Maybe we should have sent other people to handle the waking up. That one's on us..." You add, holding up your index finger as you try to salvage the situation as best you can.

"But have no fear, they're maybe annoying, but they're inoffensive, and they're the only ones like this." Peko added, stepping forward with her arms crossed.

"Unless you count Yamada-san."

"Yamada-san is too much of a coward to do anything drastic, and too interested in 2D to pursue the real thing, thank god." Chihiro continued, a rare sneer on his features as he glared off into the void. He apparently didn't enjoy Hifumi messing around with Alter Ego, it seems.

"You're... completely right, Fujisaki-san. Sorry again."

"You don't have to apologize, Makoto ! I'm angry at Yamada-san, not you !"

"Makoto, huh... ?" You both turned towards the voice to see the person seemingly called 'Samehada-san' take another cigarette from one of her packs, light it, and take a long drag from it before exhaling a cloud of greyish white smoke. Her eyes fell upon you after she did so.

"I take it that's your name, little man ?"

Ouch. That hurts. But it doesn't matter ! It's still true ! You're short ! That's clearly a characteristic of your body !

...God dammit, dad.

"Uh- ! Y-Yes, ma'am ! S-Sorry !" You guess there are better first impressions. But then again, the first impression you gave class 78 was practically the same, and now they're all your friends, sorta, kinda.

An airy giggle brought a strong blush to your cheeks as the Diva-looking lady in front of you held your chin with a dainty finger.

"You're cute, Makoto. What's your last name... ?"

Every single neuron, nay, every single ATOM inside of your body is now currently focused on two things: 1- To prevent you from getting a stiffy in front of a gorgeous woman and 2- To stop making a fool of yourself in the company of new people.

"N-Naegi... Makoto Naegi..."

Another airy chuckle reached your ears as your interlocutor suddenly pulled you into a hug, her tall stature combined with your... not-so-tall height meant that your head suddenly found itself in her cleavage, her perfume invading your nostrils and making your head turn.

"It's a cute name. Naegi..." You were going to respond, but your throat is too dry and your mind is too foggy to formulate a sentence correctly, so instead you let her wrap her arms around your head and caress your hair, a low purr resounding in your throat.

"H-Hey ! Um... ! We- We would kinda like having him back, please !" You sort of hear Chihiro protesting, Samehada-san's arms pulling you tighter against her.

"Back off, bitch ! He's cute and I saw him first !" She yells back, her grip around your head becoming tighter as you find yourself being engulfed further inside her cleavage.  
Which would be a good thing if you could still **BREATHE !**

Your arms flail around uselessly as you try to pry yourself off of the sweet death trap having its hold on you right now, your vision swimming a little as the lack of oxygen starts to get to you, your vision fading slowly to black...

"Um, Samehada-san ? I think it's high time you released the fella." 'Kenichiro' said, pointing to your ragdoll-ish body still hanging from Samehada-san's hold.

"Huh- ? _**OH MY GOD !**_ NAEGI, STAY WITH ME ! DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT !" You somewhat hear her through your daze, the oxygen filling your lungs once again as you let out a gasp, your body being flung around from side to side as she tried to shake you awake.

"Guh- Ah !" You breathe in deeply, coughing a little as you try to regain your senses. "I- ! I almost- !"

"Hey, hey, buddy. It's okay, deep breaths. Inhale, exhale." You feel a hand on your shoulder as you see the garishly dressed man give you a concerned look. Seems like a near-death experience from your part seemed to mellow down the possible hostility between the two classes.

You do as he tells you, of course. Your breathing calming down slightly as you do so.

"Look, sorry if we seemed hostile, but everybody's high-strung and scared from waking up in this... place. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive us." The garishly-dressed man continued, bowing down in apology as he talked.

"It's- It's alright, really ! I'm used to that kind of thing !" You say, your hands waving in front of you in embarrassment. Who the hell goes from "hostile" to "formal" in such little time ?!

"...Really ?" You can see his eyes looking down at the ground, slightly dejected upon hearing you say this. "Poor fucking you, then."

"Well... I still don't know your name- And I- I'd like to meet your other classmates too, if it's okay !"

"Of course it's fucking okay, dude." You hear him clear his throat before standing up from his spot, pressing a thumb to his chest as he grinned proudly. "My name is Kenichiro Udama, and I'm the Ultimate Author of Class 74 !"

"Pleased to meet you, Udama-senpai !" You say, extending your hand to shake his', to which he obliges with a smile. "My name is Makoto Naegi, and I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78 !"

You saw him frown slightly and looking concerned as you announced your title to him. "Is- Is something the matter ?"

"...If you're the Lucky Student of your class, I pray for the fucking safety of your pals."

I mean... He's not wrong. Barely five minutes in, you nearly got asphyxiated. Well, no harm was done anyway ! Plus, Samehada-senpai didn't mean for it to happen !

Speaking of, your head turned towards her as she cleared her throat, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks as she presented herself as well.

"Ahem." Smoothing out her dress, she bowed gracefully to your group. "My name is Sonata Samehada, and I am the Ultimate Opera Singer. Or Ultimate Cantatrice, depending on who you ask. It's an honor to meet you all."

"Likewise." Kyoko and Peko responded, both giving her a short, polite nod, soon being mimicked by an increasingly flustered Chihiro.

Looking around, you spotted a bunch of opened capsules identical to yours, although the number of people standing in the room at the moment, not counting your group and Teruteru and Kazuichi's, didn't equal the number of opened capsules.

"Where, um... Where is the rest of your class, Udama-san, if you don't mind me asking... ?" You asked, rubbing the back of your head, confused.

"When we first woke up, the only people other than our classmates we saw were those two stooges here." Kenichiro responded with a sneer, nodding down towards the unconscious forms of Teruteru and Kazuichi. "It made us curious, so we split into groups to investigate. Me and Samehada stayed here to try and pry some intel outta these two. Unfortunately, they just fainted when I started to yell at 'em."

_°Unfortunately... ?°_ You thought, sweatdropping silently as you asked another question. "And, um... Where are they now ?"

"No fucking clue. They should be back any minute now, though."

You were about to add something before you started hearing something resounding from down the hall, making your head and your classmates' turn towards the door in surprise.

"Oooooooi ! Ken-san ! There's commotion on the other side, should we go look there ?!" A feminine voice asked loudly, her steps resounding on the metallic floor as she got closer.

"No need, Mari-Chi !"

"Why- ?"

Opening the door, you could pretty much only describe the expression you saw on Udama-san's classmate as "a deer caught in the headlights of a car", her body freezing in place as she saw  people that were very much  _not_ her classmates in front of her.  You can discern "MARI-CHI"  written  in yellow on her red shirt, but apart from that, she appears to be wearing a pair of jeans, red sneakers and a red cap. Her skin is slightly tanned, and her hair is ginger, almost completely orange, with a few freckles powdered on each of her cheeks.

"Oh." A surprised look on her face, it was very quickly eclipsed as she smiled happily at you and your comrades. "Hi ! You must be part of the people we heard on the other side of the lab ! What's your name ? Mine's Marika Chitose, but everyone calls me Mari-Chi ! How are you ?"

Wow, you didn't expect her to be so peppy and energetic in a situation like this, although it's a welcome change !

"H- Hello, Chitose-san ! My name is Makoto Naegi, and this is Kyoko Kirigiri, Peko Pekoyama, and Chihiro Fujisaki ! We're all from Class 78, except Peko-san, who is from Class 77 !"

Cocking her head on the side, you saw her approach Peko, whom could only look down confused at the smaller girl  staring at her, her mouth turning into a pensive pout.

"Can I... Help you... ?" Peko said, sweatdropping as she looked at the pouting girl in front of her.

"Your name is Peko-san, right ?"

"...Yes ?"

Grinning happily, she took Peko's hands in hers, her eyes shining excitedly. If you looked reeeeeal close, you could also notice her vibrating a little... "It's... A super cute name !"

Taken aback by this sudden outburst, Peko could only blush in surprise, her entire face almost completely crimson as it seemed to be the first time anyone told her something like this.

"Y- You- What ?! I- I mean- ! I just- !"

"It's adorable ! It sounds like "Neko" ! No wonder it's so cute, it sounds like a kitty-cat ! Nya nya~n !"

You could almost see the flash of a lightning bolt hitting the side of Peko's head as she held up a shaky hand to Marika's head, turning to face you with the same look Hajime described as "The Cute-Animal-Spotted-I-Must-Pet-It Look"

"Naegi-san..."

"Y- Yes, Pekoyama-san ?"

"Can we keep her ?"  Her hand petting Chitose-san's admittedly fluffy-looking orange hair, she turned to face you with a shaky smile you wouldn't have believed to see one day on Peko's face.

"CHITOSE-SAN IS NOT A STRAY CAT, PEKOYAMA-SAN !"

"But... Cute." Holding her up by her armpits, Peko looked at her in the same faraway stare she gets when she sees a kitten on the street... At least, according to what Hajime said.

"It's still a no !"

"But... Look." Holding Marika up, Peko softly shoved her towards you in the same way you would hold a cat, looking admittedly very cute as she gave you a pout and a tiny "Nya !" before quickly being pulled back into a hug by one overjoyed Ultimate ~~Cute Animal Enthusiast~~ Swordswoman.

"Yes, she's very cute, but we can't steal her away from her class !"

"I'm keeping her."

"Pekoyama-san, no !"

"I have no idea what's happening, but I like the hugs and the head pats !" Marika added, her freckled cheek squishing against Peko's as she responded in kind to the hug.

In the heat of the moment, you forgot about a certain detail, but, for everything you hold dear, you can't seem to remember what that detail was...

You are, however, abruptly reminded when you feel a gloved hand on your shoulder, making your heart feel like it's going to burst out of your ribcage as you tense up.

As you turn towards the source of said hand, you are somewhat relieved... ?

You guess you forgot about the goth surgeon for a moment !

...That's a weird sentence to say.

"Ah, pardon me for interrupting." The black-clad man starts, his low, monotone voice slightly muffled by his mask as the temperature of the room seemed to have dropped a few degrees when he finally decided to make his presence known, with Peko hugging a still-smiling Marika closer to her.

"You see, I didn't want to pop in unannounced before. You all seemed to be so... Joyful, it was an admirable sight..."

"...Who are you ?" You asked, slightly unnerved, especially since MY _GOD_ THAT GUY IS TALL.

"Who is anyone, really ? Aren't we all husks upon a rotting carcass, waiting for the Trumpets of Apocalypse to finally put an end to too long a life ?"

"...What ?"

"Alright, let me be the fucking nerd-translator, or else we'll be there all week !" Kenichiro said, coming in front of you to do the presentations.

"Naegi-san, this is Nodachi Kugo-senpai. He's one year older than the rest of our class at 20, and he's the Ultimate Surgeon, if the clothes weren't enough of a fucking dead ringer. Emphasis on the 'dead' part. Kugo-senpai, this is Makoto Naegi-san, the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78."

"Pleased to meet you, Kugo-senpai... ?" You unsurely said, extending your hand towards him, which he gladly shook, a semi-apparent smile on his face as he closed his eyes happily.

"The pleasure is, likewise, shared, Naegi-san."

You don't want to let an awkward silence take its hold on the room, so you ask him a question immediately afterwards.

"U- Um ! How- How come you're one year older than your classmates, Kugo-senpai ?"

"Ah. It's a very... Interesting story. Say, picture a lonely young man in the throes of battling with his inner demons during the trials that are modern education-"

" **OH** , my **GOD** , just say that you failed your first year by half-assing the written exams like a normal human being, you fucking drama queen !" Kenichiro snapped, Kugo-senpai stopping in his tracks as he shot the Author a withering glare, which the latter took without any problem whatsoever.

"...A rather barbaric and succint résumé, but, alas, a correct résumé nonetheless."

Seeing metaphorical sparks flying between their gazes, you felt like you had to intervene, but a groan of pain made your head turn towards the floor.

"Mnngh... Where... Where are we... ?"

Oh good, looks like Souda-senpai woke up. His puzzled gaze moving around the room before finally stopping on Udama-senpai's gaze, letting out a shriek of terror as he started violently shaking Teruteru's body to get him to wake up.

"H- HANAMURA-SAN, WAKE UP !!! THE MADMAN IS STILL HERE !!!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MADMAN, BITCHBOY ?!"

" **EEEEEEK !!! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME !!!** "

"S- Souda-senpai, calm down !" You started, interposing yourself between Udama-senpai's body and Souda-senpai's before things got out of hand again. "T- This here is Udama-senpai, and we've cleared the misunderstanding that happened before we got here ! U- Udama-senpai was just fearing for the safety of his classmates and acted on instinct !"

The Ultimate Author grumbled, looking away. "...Yeah, that's pretty much it. You're gonna have to excuse my short temper, because I'm not trying to change anything about myself."

_°Short temper ?! This sounds more like you have no temper at all, Udama-senpai !°_

"Well, I mean... It's not like you didn't  _hit us_ or anything." Kazuichi sneered, his hand reaching for his beanie and shaking whatever dust got onto it off before placing it back on his head.

"Oi... What was that, walking style disaster... ?" Uh-oh. You recognize that look. That's the famous Mondo-style crazy-angry-smile.

"Walking style disast- ! Have you looked in a mirror recently ?! Because that's the pot calling the kettle black !"

" **SAY THAT TO MY FACE, ASSHOLE !!!** "

" **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK !!! NAEGI-SAAAAAAAAN !!!** "

" Stop it, Udama-san !"

You were about to say that, but it seems like someone beat you to the punch. Just like Udama-senpai was going to do to Souda-senpai.

Standing in the hallway  was a girl you could easily mistake for Asahina-san or Akane-san, fitting the tanned-and-sporty type perfectly, her brown skin being complimented by her outfit, it being a blue shirt with white shorts, long blue socks and blue shoes. Immediately, your mind pegs her as the Ultimate Football Player, if the outfit means anything, but you could still be wrong.

"Geez, I know you have anger issues, but you shouldn't assault people like this ! Me and the others could hear you from the other end of the hallway !" She said, scolding him while holding her arms akimbo on her hips, Udama-san turning his head in embarrassment.

"...I'm sorry Reika-san." Wow, that was surprisingly meek. Guess she must be pretty important !

Your mind goes back to describing her, your gaze trailing up and focusing on her messy brown hair on her hea-  
...

Alright, you didn't want to say anything...

...But that ahoge looks really,  _really_ familiar.

Geez, is there, like, a common ancestor that just churns these out ?!

... You also feel like this common ancestor is  very generous with all of his (or her) descendants. Since, well... You guess 'Reika-san' doesn't wear push-up bras seeing the amount of cleavage on her shirt.

(And also since you have no problems size-wise, and no, you're not talking about height, but shhhh.)

Oh shit, she's looking at you and your classmates, stay cool, Makoto.

"Who are these people ?"

"Oh ! Oh ! Pick me ! Pick me ! I know the answer ! I know the answer !" Marika said, waving at Reika happily while still being held by Peko yama -san.

"... Mari-Chi ?" She said, a smile pulling at her lips as she saw her classmate being cuddled like a cat.

"These really nice people are from Class 78 ! This is Makoto-" She said, pointing at you. "-This is Kyoko, this is Chihiro, and this is Pekoneko-san !"

If the look of bliss currently taking hold of Pekoyama-san's features means anything, it's that she really likes this nickname.

"I'm incredibly jealous that you get to see this bundle of joy and happiness everyday. Which is why I'm keeping her from now on." Wow, there's clearly noone else than Pekoyama-san to go from absolute bliss to complete deadpan seriousness in less than a second.

"Look, Pekoneko-san- !"

" _That's Pekoyama for you._ " Oh god, that's an intense glare, and it's aimed directly at her. You wouldn't want to be in her place right now. Though you feel like the hand on the sword is a bit overdoing it, in your own personal opinion...

However, you don't feel like the situation is degenerating, right now.

But when a shadow falls from the ceiling and a hand grips Pekoyama-san's forearm tight enough to make her lose her grip on her weapon, you guess that's the moment the "shit hits the fan", like Mondo would say.

"Wh- What the- ?!" Pekoyama-san has no time to react before she gets a kunai pressed against her throat by a pale black-clad woman wearing a mask over her mouth.

" **Don't. Threaten. My. Classmates.** " You stifle a shriek as it all happens, something Chihiro couldn't do and something Peko and Kyoko barely managed to do. The bloodthirsty creepy whispering voice doesn't help either, and, as much as you like to meddle, right now you are as far from wanting to do so as you'll ever be.

Turning her head to look at the newcomer, Marika's smile grew in size as she waved happily at the female ninja.

"Mizu-chan ! You came back !"

Her facial expression making an almost complete 180° turn, her scarily determined face turned into a happy eyes-closed smile, her free hand waving back at her.

"Hello Mari-Chi. Don't worry, I'll save you."

"Uh ? Save me ? Why ?"

"...This woman is holding you hostage, right ?"

"I don't know. Wait, I'll ask !" Craning her head back to look at the swordswoman, Marika smiled up at her. "Pekoneko-san, are you holding me hostage ?"

"...No ? Why would I ?"

"Okay, thank you !" Looking back at the ninja, she responded with a smile. "No she's not !"

"But-"

"Mizu-chan." A determined tone in her voice, she placed her hand on the hand she was using to grip Peko's forearm. "They're nice."

"...Fine."  With a spin of her kunai, she put it back on her bandolier, her hand leaving Peko's forearm as she bowed down low. "Please accept my apologies, I was expecting the worst from sketchy individuals like you."

_°Sketchy individuals ?! Do we look that suspicious ?!°_

"Mizu-chan ! That's not  a nice  thing to say !" Pouting angrily, Marika crossed her arms, glaring butter knives at her classmate.

"Ah. Pardon me for this as well, then." Alright, you swear you heard a 'bonk' from her head touching the ground. Nobody can bend that low at the hip to bow down.

Nobody normal, you guess, but if they're also from Hope's Peak, then you guess this isn't even the weirdest thing you'll see them do.

"It's... It's fine, I can get why you would be wary around newcomers, especially in an unknown environment." Peko started, more than a bit puzzled. "But, um... Where did you come from ? I would have heard the door if you came in through it, and it seems like it's the only issue."

"I was there the whole time."

"No you weren't ! I didn't see you when we first came in !"

"I was on the ceiling."

Yup. Typical Hope's Peak student.

"On the- Wh- How ?!"

"I'm the Ultimate Kunoichi."

Well, that answers that question.

"Anyway !" Reika loudly interjected, returning the room's attention to herself, clearing her throat as she went towards Peko, holding out her hand to shake hers.

"It's really nice to meet you all, and I hope that this... more than a bit shaky first meeting didn't deter you all from meeting the rest of our class !" A bright smile on her lips as Peko shook her extended hand, the Ultimate Swordswoman shook her head, a slight smile across her face.

"Not at all. I understand very well that you might feel wary after emerging in the company of foreign people, no hard feelings were held today."

It was very discreet, but you feel like you saw 'Mizu-chan' exhaling a breath of relief, before going up to her, a serious expression on her features.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, how rude of me. You may call me Mizuna Kohito, and you already know my Ultimate Talent."

"Oh, right ! I didn't get the chance to introduce myself either ! I'm Reika Sutokira, and I'm the Ultimate Football Player !"

As Peko gives the both of them a polite nod, you can't help but pump your fist in self-victory upon guessing right the Ultimate Talent of the latest member of the Ahoge group.

Those investigations in the simulations payed off, it seems !

However discreet you may have been, you still blush as you hear a soft chuckle coming out of Kyoko's mouth, feeling a bit embarrassed that she saw you do something childish like this.

"Um, Reika-san ?" You call out to her, her head turning towards you. As you were about to ask your question, you can't deny the flush that went to your cheeks as you saw her give you a once-over while biting her lip, a discreet wink sent your way, setting your cheeks that much more ablaze.

"Yes, Naegi-san... ?" _GOD_ , you love how your name rolled off her tongue like that. An inquisitive eyebrow arched up your way, you catch yourself staring at her thick tanned legs while she repositioned herself, cocking her hips on the side as she stretched her arms above her head, her shirt riding up slightly, showcasing her chest further and showing a bit more of her toned belly.

She is _sooooo_ doing this on purpose.

"I- ! UM- I- I was wondering... ! W-What's Marika-san's Talent ?" You questioned, looking away bashfully as you spy her smiling teasingly at you in your peripheral vision.

"Hmhm ! It's awesome, alright !" Puffing out her chest in pride as she gave a boisterous chuckle, Marika interjected. "I'm the Ultimate Fan ! I give everybody my love and support !"

God dammit, even her talent is adorable.

"My heart... Too much..." Peko said, clutching her chest as she obviously had trouble processing the very voluminous amounts of cuteness exuded by one single person.

"Oh my. Might I help ?" Snapping his glove back into place, Kugo-senpai advanced, a...scarily determined look on his face. " _I'm an... Expert of open-heart surgeries..."_

"...I'm fine." Wow, okay, you've never seen Pekoyama-san sweat this much before, but you guess you'd be in the same state, if not worse, if a scary surgeon like him asked you something like that. The... tone doesn't help either.

"Hey, don't go scaring the new class, asshole !" Udama-senpai said, giving a quick jab into the surgeon's chest, who recoiled in pain.

"You fool... This was... Needless... !" His arms draped over his chest in an expression of obvious hurt, he was about to add something else when the door slammed open, making Chihiro jump in surprise.

"Of course... I sensed people from our class getting rowdy, and it just had to be you two, Udama-san and Kugo-san."

Long black and white high heels clattering with each step over the metallic ground of the lab, you felt like watching someone straight out of an anime. Her straight white skirt and long straight black hair fluttering with each of her movements while her tight-looking white blazer seemed more like a military uniform, what with the numerous medals she wore on her right breast. Stopping in front of the pair, whom had grown fearful from the second she entered the room, she slammed the tip of her wooden sword down onto the hard, cold ground, a brief flash of light shining over her black double-scalene-triangle glasses.

" _You two had better explain yourselves as to why you acted with such indiscipline in front of foreign company... NOW._ " Her voice carried authority and power, and, while not aimed at them in particular, the rest of the room, including you and your classmates, could only gulp in fear.

"U-Udama-san was the one who started it, Karuse-oneesama ! He hit me in the chest !" Breaking away rather uncharacteristically from his usual Chuuni personality, Kugo-senpai pointed hurriedly towards his garishly-dressed classmate, "Karuse"'s stare moving from one classmate to the other.

"Is it true, _Udama-kun_... ?" Uh-oh. That "-kun" was not meant to be affectionate at all, looks like your senpai is in trouble !

"It- It's his fault ! He- He was scaring the newbies, and I wanted to stop him- !" An annoyed breath resounding out of her mouth, "Karuse"'s arm moved impossibly fast, her wooden sword smacking the both of them on the head as they writhed on the floor in pain.

" _Impudents ! As students of Hope's Peak Academy, we are required to represent the best aspects of the school under all circumstances ! I will NOT tolerate any more of this foolishery, do you understand me ?!_ " Wow, looks like Ogami-san isn't the only one that can make her hair float when she's angry. It's still bizarre, though...

"Y-Yes, Karuse-oneesama..." Kugo-senpai talked first, his voice in a strained tone, obviously showcasing his current pain as Udama-senpai did the same.

"Un- Understood, Karuse-oneesama..."

"Tch... ! Who are these monsters... ?!" You nearly didn't catch Peko's worried whisper as she hugged Marika's body close to hers, more than a few beads of sweat rolling down her temple as the newcomer turned to face you both, an intimidating aura surrounding her as her eyes seemed to shine from behind her tinted glasses.

"You there," She pointed towards Peko with the tip of her wooden training sword, making her gulp. "Yes, you with the fierce glare and the sword. What's your name ?"

"Pe- Peko Pekoyama, ma'am... I'm- I'm the Ultimate Swordswoman of Class 77..."

"Ultimate Swordswoman, huh ?" An incredulous eyebrow raised, she turned her head to look into Marika's eyes. "Mari-Chi."

"O-kaaaaay..." Catching the hidden meaning, Marika sighed before wiggling her way out of Peko's grasp, the latter's attention coming back up fast enough to see "Oneesama" pull out a pen from her blazer's pocket. A lithe, yet strong-looking hand launching the pen in the air with a spin.

Her eyes following the movements of the pen, she followed it carefully up, then down, and down further, until realization struck her.

_She wasn't supposed to look at the pen._

Bringing up her sword at the last second to block the wooden katana, the metal of her scabbard resounding in the room with a loud ' _**CLANG !!!** _ ', her arms could barely hold back the powerful blow.

"Guh... ! I- I couldn't even- !" Peko started, being cut short by a shove from the latest arrival in the room as you could do nothing but look powerless in horror at the scene unfolding in front of you.

Getting back into a fighting stance, Peko braced herself for another hit, but was surprised to see her opponent (?) hang her wooden sword back onto her hip, bringing up the base of her palm to readjust her glasses.

"Not too shabby...  For a self-taught, at least. You deserve your title. You're far from perfect, but you deserve it."

Bringing a hand up to her chin, you could barely hear a pensive hum coming out of her mouth.

"No, not self-taught...  _Forced apprentissage._ "

"- !"

Still gripping at her sword, Peko held her guard, as though the other woman's words were going to cut her.

"The way you hold your weapon, that fierce and cold exterior coupled with your desire for something you can never truly grasp... A prizefighter, perhaps... ?  No... Not enough free will... Maybe an assassin... ?"

Red eyes looking back into the  cold, dark voids of her glasses,  she steeled herself, drawing a smirk from her opponent.

"No, wait- I've got it." A wicked smirk on her lips, she took a step forward, her high heel clattering against the ground loudly as Peko took a step back. " _A bodyguard._ "

"Ah- !" Peko's eyes widened, her grip on her sword becoming slightly looser.

"I guessed right, didn't I... ? You _actually_ protect Yakuza filth... ?" A discreet sneer appearing on her features, she held her chin up, looking down on the gray-haired swordswoman. " _Delinquence_ _disgusts me. I should be taking care of you this instant, but I was told our classes were going to need to live together peacefully._ "

"..."  Growing silent, Peko stood up straight, her face hidden by the shadows of the room as she held her sword against her hip with her hand.

" _If it were only my decision, I'd have you and whatever demon you serve beaten into submission and brought to justice..._ But I guess I'm not the only one deciding anymore." Turning her back towards her, she made her way for the door.

"May I know," Peko started, her fierce demeanor coming back hundredfold as her eyes seemed to want to bore holes into her opponent's back. "just who my new  _enemy_ is ?"

T his is literally more interesting than any TV show you've ever seen. And everybody seems to be taking it seriously as well ! While you don't want your classmates and/or senpais to fight, you still have to admit that getting in the middle of this would only be dangerous for you, and would ruin the moment for you.

...Hey, when did Soda-senpai, Udama-senpai and Kugo-senpai come to hide behind your back ?

"..." The sound of white leather gloves gripping the door resounding, she brokeaway from the metallic door, marching up to Peko's body until their glasses pushed against each other's.

"If you really must know, my name is Karuse Wakishi, and I am the Ultimate Class Representative."

A dismissive wave of her hand over her shoulder, she turned her back towards her again.

"Keep that in mind, Yakuza trash.  _This is the name of the person that will destroy your entire being._ "

"Isn't it bad form," Peko started, crossing her arms defiantly. "to turn your back on someone who, according to you, would backstab you ?"

"...I never said anything about backstabbing."

"But you were thinking it really hard, weren't you ?"

A wicked snarl on her lips, Karuse turned back to face her, her hand at Peko's collar while she felt her scabbard pushing against her neck, her own mouth morphing into a devious grin.

"I'm starting to think I'm going to  _like_ this rivalry,  _Peko Pekoyama_ ."

"You must be reading my mind, then.  _I've been thinking the same thing._ "

Exhaling a calm breath, Samehada-san stood next to you, her hand reaching for a zippo lighter inside one of the pockets in her dress before lighting up another cigarette, taking a long drag on the tobacco before blowing a large puff of white smoke, making you cough slightly as you stood on her right.

"I haven't seen Karuse-oneesama this fired up since a long while... She must really have been itching for this."

This made you curious, honestly, and you feel like Chihiro, who moved next to you to get away from the two lionesses glaring bolts of lightning at each other, feels the same as you both ask:

"What do you mean by that ?"

"Karuse-oneesama has quite a temper, even if she likes to act as this cool, aloof class leader to all of us. Nobody knows why, but everytime she meets a new group of people, she needs to find a rival inside the lot. For the longest time, I was that rival."

"Wait, really ?"

"Yeah, I was apparently the only one who could handle her. It's the typical way she makes friends."

"How could you call that making friends... ?" Souda-senpai asked, pointing at the pair that very much looked like they were on the verge of jumping at the other's throat.

"It makes sense in context. Karuse-oneesama has always been socially awkward, and... Well, kind of a wild card, personality-wise. But she found a way to make friends that, by her standards, works pretty well: First, she creates a rivality  with a person, then spars with that person for a given time. Their relationship seems caustic at first, but devolves into something more akin to a gossipy friendship over time. Then, she'll try to gain their respect by doing crazy stuff to make the other like them, and boom. Without knowing it, you become friends with her."

"Oh, like a kismessitude !" Chihiro interjected.

"...What ?"

"...Nevermind."

"Alright. You're on, Pekoyama." You all heard Karuse say, her wooden sword pressing against Peko's still-sheathed one as they seemed to struggle to overpower the other. "Whenever we get out of here, I want a sparring match against you."

"That's fine by me. I've been itching for a fight anyway."

A cheeky smile on her face, Samehada-senpai made a gesture with both of her hands, as if to showcase the scene happening before all of you.

"See ? Case and point."

"Interesting." Kyoko said, her gloved hand cupping her chin as she seemed entirely focused on the rivalry happening in front of her.

Following her gaze, you noticed that she wasn't particularly watching the fight as much as she was watching... Other things.

Notably Wakishi-senpai's butt, which happened to stick out fiercely during her and Peko's power struggle.

"Kirigiri-san, are you looking at her ass ?" You said, a bit louder than you meant to.

And, like a ripple effect, multiple things happened as you said this.

Kyoko's face turned a deep scarlet out of embarrassment as she turned towards you, anger soon forming on her face as you seemed to have blown her cover.

Wakishi-senpai, having heard this, and, seeing as she had her back facing your Ultimate Detective classmate, put two and two together with a chuckle.

And the rest of the group, you not included as you feared to face Kyoko's wrath, couldn't help but laugh at the, admittedly pretty funny situation to alleviate the tense mood that has been plaguing the room since a long while.

" Pause." Wakishi-senpai said, Peko withdrawing her sword confusedly as she saw her opponent stretch her sore limbs and wiggle her backside with a cheeky smile, repositionning herself with her legs spread a bit further apart, her ass sticking out even more fiercely than before.

"Alright, resume." She said, a wide grin on her lips as she turned her head around. "Hey Kirigiri. Take a picture,  _it'll last longer..._ "

Erupting in an even fiercer blush, Kyoko decided moving at the back of the group would mean making a fool of herself would happen less, Kugo-senpai and Marika-senpai patting her on the back, trying to help her get over her embarrassment.

"Yeaaaah, I forgot to tell you, Karuse-oneesama spent all her life in all-girls schools, and had only women raising her, sooo... Yeah, just saying, don't be surprised if she gets weirdly forward with you."

"Did it happen with you ?"

"...No comments."

"Yes it did, and they shagged for a whole year."

"UDAMA-KUN !"

"I'M SORRY, BUT YOUR ROOM WAS NEXT TO MINE AND THE WALLS WEREN'T EXACTLY SOUNDPROOF, SUE ME !"

"Wait... So you knew ?!"

" **Everyone** in the class knew, Samehada-san !  You two weren't exactly subtle about it either, and Karuse-oneesama bringing someone bento everyday wasn't exactly a common sight at the time !"

"Now that I think about it, Karuse-oneesama was, and is still someone associated with Asmodea, isn't she ?"

"Who's Asmodea, Kugo-senpai ?"

"The Deadly Sin of Lust, Naegi. He's basically saying she's a horn dog, and it's not even false."

"But, like... Is she a... ?"

"Lesbian ? Well, I don't know, honestly... I mean, she does seem to go for the girls a lot, but she never really ruled out the boys either !"

"She's not  one , let me tell you."

"And how would you know, Edgar Allan Scrub ?!"

"...Well."

" _...Oh my god, you too ?!_ Dude, you HAVE to tell me about this !"

"...I swore on the Book of Sins this tale would never get out of my memories, prying will be fruitless from now on."

"Oh, what ?! Boooooooo ! You ain't fucking fun, dude !"

" Maybe so. Maybe so." Watching their exchange, you could almost hear the giddy smile forming behind Kugo-senpai's black surgical mask. "...But let me tell you this, it was  _fun fucking_ ."

"Hahahah, hell yeah, you fucking nerd !" A high-five ensued, prompting a smile, a wistful sigh and a cheeky eyeroll from Wakishi-senpai.

"Boys, am I right ? Can't seem to hold them in place." She said, a conversational tone in her voice as she continued her power struggle with Peko, their swords pressing against each other to make the other stumble. "So anyway, tell me about your class !"

"...Karuse ?"

"What ?" A pause, then a facepalm and a little chuckle. "Oh right, we're fighting ! Sorry, it slipped my mind !"

"How could it-"

" _Because you're not putting your strength into it, pussy._ "

"...I'll show you a pussy, you fucking bitch."

"Oh, yesss~!"

"No, not like that- !  Urghhhhh ! I fell right into that one, didn't I ?! "

" Yes you did, honey !"

Wow, you don't know how that happened, but the mood just got lighter all of a sudden. Maybe embarrassing Kyoko had a good aftereffect, who knows ?

"Sorry..." Reika said, coming up to you while scratching the back of her head. "They're always like this... They're not bad people, but they can get weirdly intense, sometimes."

"That's Hope's Peak in a nutshell, honestly." You responded, glad that you could find someone  calm to talk to amongst this mess. " Sorry, I didn't have the time to present myself, I'm Makoto Naegi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Extending your hand, she shook it eagerly, her wide cute smile rubbing off on you as you couldn't help but grin happily "Likewise, Naegi !"

"So... Are all the boys of Class 78 that cute, or is it just you ?"

Holy shit, wow, okay, that's the first time a girl flirts openly with you, quick, Naegi, act cool !

"Depends, if I say I'm the cutest, do I get to spend more time with you ?"

A giggle sounds off your success as you bask in the delicious glory of speaking to a girl without sounding like a bumbling idiot. God, that feels magnificent.

"Definitely~! Heehee, you're quite the charmer, aren't you~?"

"Only with the prettiest."  God, you remember your dad teaching you this line. Well, it seems to be working, so thanks dad !

" _Ahem._ " You would have kept on showering Reika with praise, but a gloved hand gripping your shoulder stopped you from doing that, beads of sweat rolling quickly down your cheeks and brow as you turned to face a rather displeased Kyoko Kirigiri.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but that cute piece of work is _mine_ , Sutokira-san." Wow, okay, how is it that 'Possessive Kyoko' is such a turn-on for you ? A frown forming on Reika's face, she moved closer to Kyoko, her honey-colored eyes glaring into her own lavender-colored ones.

"...Yours ?" She asked, rhetorically, a sneer forming on her face as she pressed herself against you, hugging you closer to her while glaring at Kyoko. "Strange... I don't seem to see your name on his person anywhere... _Kirigiri-kohai_."

Okay... This might be a bigger piece of work than you first thought. You hope your class and theirs will end up liking eachother soon, because life is gonna get really difficult really fast for all of you. Especially when you are currently finding yourself in the midst of a glaring contest between two fierce-looking competitors.

Yup. This is your cue to leave.

Luckily, a well-timed intervention will save you from an awkward situation !

"Would you all calm down already... ? Geez... The others sent me to check up on you because you were taking your sweet time, and here you all are making whatever clusterfuck is happening right now..."

A tired-looking man opened the door of the lab, whose appearance you could only describe as "messy": His disheveled, fuzzy black hair went in all directions, kind of like Nagito-senpai's, in a way. A crumpled up white shirt covered by a food-stained wool jacket and a pair of black shorts with sandals constituted on his person something that you would gladly call a disaster of an outfit, if you didn't have almost the same outfit in your wardrobe during vacations.

"Hey, Junji ! What the fuck are you doing here ?! I thought you were supposed to do something about the computers with the others !"

"I was, Ken. But then I got bored and needed to work the tension out of my legs, so I came here..."

"Hitoro-kun ! I understand that you couldn't change in something more appropriate, but you still could have fixed your appearance a little before meeting with our new comrades !"

"Pff... Gimme a break, Karu-nee... I didn't even know you guys had found new people... Besides, they're not my boss or anything, why should I do that... ?"

_°So careless...°_ You thought,  a bit surprised at the sudden appearance of a new member of Class 74.

"Wait, Hitoro-san ?! Like the- ! Oh my god, I know you !" Chihiro spoke up, pointing excitedly at the newcomer.

"Uh... You do... ?"

"YES ! You're Junji Hitoro-san, the Ultimate Speedrunner ! Oh my god, I'm such a big fan of your streams ! I watched them all the time before, well... Before all this !"

"...Really ?" He responded, a slight frown on his face as he rubbed the back of his head in annoyance. "Well, that's a bummer... Now I have even less reasons to quit doing that..."

"What ?! Why would you want to quit ? You regularly get tens of thousands of people watching your challenges daily, and about as many donations !"

"Well... If I'm being honest... It's because I hate video games."

An incredulous laugh leaving Chihiro's mouth, he quickly froze up as he saw that Junji was, in fact, not joking.

"...Oh my god, you're completely serious, aren't you ?"

"Like my usual completion rate: One hundred percent."

"But... why ?"

"..." Turning back towards the door, Junji was ready to leave, a faraway look in his eyes. "I don't feel like talking about it right now. Maybe later..."

Turning back to face Chihiro, he gave him a small, almost apologetic smile.

"It's still nice meeting a fan, though... Thanks for your support."

And just like that, he was gone as fast as he came, leaving behind a gaggle of confused Ultimates.

"Well... Why don't we go check up on the rest of your class, Udama-senpai ?"

"Yeah, let's do this. I'm starting to become fucking claustrophobic, with these tight rooms and all..."

Your group leaving the room, you and Kenichiro  lead the pack as you made your way through the hallways.

And even though you were... Surprised, to say the least ! You can safely say that the people of Class 74 are nice, at least for those you met so far !

And the prospect of meeting more people ? It just makes it even better !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a long while to make, I hope you'll like it ! I'll continue the introductions in the next chapter, don't worry !


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